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Tending Tomorrow: Canadian Women Homileticians Reflect on the Future of Preaching in Canada

  • Knox College 59 Saint George Street Toronto, ON, M5S 3H4 Canada (map)

Women are stepping into their calling to proclaim the Gospel, find their unique voice and embrace the future of preaching! If you’re a clergy, student, or simply passionate about the art of preaching, hearing from those who are leading the way can inspire and guide your growth.

This spring, join us for Tending Tomorrow, a full-day event that brings together four leading Canadian women homileticians as they reflect on the current state of preaching in Canada and imagine bold, hope-filled directions for the future.

You will hear from:

  • The Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis (Knox College, Toronto School of Theology)

  • The Rev. Dr. Joni Sancken (Vancouver School of Theology)

  • The Rev. Dr. HyeRan Kim-Cragg (Emmanuel College, TST)

  • The Rev. Dr. Sarah Han (Tyndale Seminary)

Each speaker will offer a 30-minute lecture, followed by a response from a homiletics graduate student, followed by a panel discussion.

We'll explore questions like:

  • What are the emerging trends and movements in preaching that will shape the church in Canada?

  • How do we preach the Gospel in a rapidly evolving, diverse society?

  • What role does preaching play in guiding our communities into the future with hope?

This event is for:

  • Preachers seeking to deepen their practice.

  • Students wanting to learn from today’s leaders in homiletics.

  • Anyone interested in the transformative power of preaching in today’s context.

Register Today


The Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis (Knox College, Toronto School of Theology)

Sarah Travis is the Associate Professor, Ewart Chair in the Practice of Ministry and Faith Formation at Knox College and has been teaching at Knox since 2012.

Sarah is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Her primary areas of research and teaching are preaching, worship and the practice of ministry. From decolonizing worship practices to trauma-informed preaching, Sarah has published several books aimed at facilitating a conversation among Christians about topics that matter for the church today. She is a 2023 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Teacher-Scholar Grant recipient, exploring how playful theologies can enhance the worship and self-identity of very small congregations.

 

The Rev. Dr. Joni Sancken (Vancouver School of Theology)

Joni Sancken (PhD, Toronto School of Theology, Emmanuel College) is the Butler Chair of Homiletics and Biblical Interpretation at Vancouver School of Theology. Sancken was previously Professor of Homiletics at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH for the past 10 years and Assistant Professor of Preaching and Practical Theology at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, VA. Much of her recent work has concerned the intersections of preaching and trauma studies. Her current research is focused on how preaching can support conflict transformation in congregations.

She is the author of several books including, Stumbling Over the Cross: Preaching the Cross and Resurrection Today (Cascade, 2016), Words that Heal: Preaching Hope to Wounded Souls (Abingdon, 2019), All Our Griefs to Bear: Responding with Resilience After Collective Trauma (Herald Press, 2022) and Getting to God: Preaching Good News in a Troubled World (co-authored, Cascade, 2023.)

Sancken is an ordained pastor in Mennonite Church USA and has enjoyed serving and preaching in a wide array of ecumenical settings. She lives in Vancouver with her Presbyterian pastor spouse, Steve Schumm, children Maggie and Teddy, and dogs Bella and Pax. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, watching reality competition shows, reading, and exploring the natural beauty in Vancouver.

 

The Rev. Dr. HyeRan Kim-Cragg (Emmanuel College, TST)

The Rev. Dr. HyeRan Kim-Cragg is the 14th Principal of Emmanuel College and holds the inaugural Timothy Eaton Memorial Church Professorship in Preaching there. Currently she is on the Executive Committee of the Academy of Homiletics, and serves Editorial Boards of the journal Homiletic and International Journal of Societas Homiletica. Kim-Cragg is a prolific writer. Her most recent publications include Moments in Time: Sermons from The Untied Church of Canada 1910-2020 (2024), Practical Theology Amid Environmental Crises (2022), and Postcolonial Preaching (2021). As an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK), and as a ministry partner with the Untied Church of Canada, she has taken several leadership roles educating intercultural ministry, antiracism and feminist issues for more than 20 years. A proud Korean committed to engaging ecological issues, she loves to walk, bike, and watch K-dramas!

 

The Rev. Dr. Sarah Han (Tyndale Seminary)

The Rev. Dr. Sarah Han is Director of the Tyndale Centre for Pastoral Imagination, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Tyndale Seminary, wife to a church-planter catalyst, and mom to three lovely kids. Sarah is a Korean-Chinese-Canadian third-culture pastor's kid turned missionary's kid and much of her formative theology was shaped on the mission field abroad. She is passionate about re-imagining church for the next generation and living out the mission of God in her everyday life. Sarah is a foodie and loves to hike and she and her family live in rural Ontario amongst trees and chickens.

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